Fireplace screen and draft control



July 19, 1938. E. T. BROWN I FIREPLACE SCREEN AND DRAFT CONTROL Filed April 50, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS July 19, 1938.- E. T. BROW-N 2,124,135

FIREPLACE SCREEN AND DRAFT CONTROL 7 Filed April 50, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 1 HI; 6411: x In I? '/--.----------.-45\ \if' 35 J ss/ W55 64 m 1% III \I In I In 1': \i 50 37 5!.\ I 15 2i." it 3/ INVENTOR Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES FIREPLACE SCREEN AND DRAFT CONTROL Eugene T. Brown, Seattle, Wash.

Application April 30,

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to the general art of heating devices and more particularly to a fireplace screen and draft control.

While improvements have been made in all types of heating equipment there has not, to my knowledge, been a worthwhile change in devices for controlling fireplace fires. Many types of dampers have been provided. However, a damper fails to serve its intended purpose when applied to a fireplace because of the fact that once gases are formed, as a result of the heat applied to the fuel, they must be allowed to go up the chimney but, if the chimney is restricted by a damper, they will be discharged into the room.

This is objectionable. Further, there is a real need for means that will permit checking a fireplace fire and that will prevent, with certainty, sparks being thrown out of a fireplace and causing damage. Then, too, in many localities where the fireplace is a real means of heating, it is desirable to provide the same arrangement of banking a fire as is possible with furnaces, and the like.

None of the devices inspected do more than to provide a directing means for the smoke.

With my present device, however, I provide a definite curtain or closure which will be substantially air tight, will permit of actually excluding the air from a fireplace fire without in any way interfering with the chimney opening. It further acts as a screen to hidefrom view the fireplace opening in the floor which so often becomes a natural dumping ground for sweepings and the like. My present invention is believed to overcome the deficiencies heretofore existing and to provide means that will make a fireplace as safe as any stove or furnace; means that will permit actually controlling the fire to the point of suffocation if necessary. I provide a curtain which can be adjusted to meet the need. In

starting a fire, for instance, it can be drawn quite low down so that the draft, normally created in the chimney, will be forced to draw in air near the floor so that it will pass up through the grate or coal basket, or underneath the wood as it is raised above the hearth by andirons, or the like, and the fire can be built quite close to the curtain so as to receive ade- 5 quate draft.

Other and more specific objects will be appar ent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where- 55 Figure 1 is a perspective View showing my de- 1936, Serial No. 77,243

vice .as installed in a conventional fireplace opening.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional View through my screen and showing the meansfor adjusting and securing the device.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a fireplace, having my device installed with certain parts shown in section to better illustrate the construction thereof.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View in perspective to illustrate certain parts of my device.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing, in exploded relationship, a number of the essential parts that distinguishes my present device.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts,'6 generally designates my curtain. This may follow approved practice for curtains designed to resist heat. Throughout my present drawings I have illustrated one form of curtain which has proved very satisfactory. This consists of a plurality of substantially semi-circular plates or links 8 each being provided with an open hook portion l0 and a bead portion I2. When so arranged it has been found that the placement of a unit can be easily effected; that it will draw up readily after the showing of Figure 2 and the hinge thus shown is relatively air tight, yet provides a hinge construction that can be relied upon to work smoothly. To have the same roll easily on a central spindle or roller member, as M, it has been found desirable to have the hinged. members of somewhat different chord distances so that the joints are staggered around the roller and thus lie most compactly when rolled up.

At the lower end in the present showing Ihave illustrateda straight, hinged member It. This is merely for distinction in appearance and might be asegmental member as the others. The lower end of this member I provide with a lock bar l8. This is formed preferably of a heavy wire which at its center 20 is twisted to form the handle 2|. This twisting makes it possible to adjust the overall length of bar l8 so that a properly fitted installation can be easily effected. Each end of bar I8 is formed with a return bend as 23 and 24 having the free ends 25 and 26 respectively parallel to that portion of curtain l6 which encloses the long stretch of bar la. The purpose of these return shafts is to provide a locking arrangement for my curtain when adjusted in its lower positions. This is accomplished by pro viding corrugated guideways as 30 and 3! which are so spaced apart that they will not permit the turning of bar l8 thus providing a toggle locking means which looks the curtain against upward movement.

Roller I4, to which the upper end of my jointed curtain is secured, is mounted for rotation upon inserted bearing members 33 and 34. These two members have an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of roller I4 and are further provided with the extension lugs as 36 and 31, respectively, which are adapted to engage in slot 38 formed in the tubular roller l4. Each of these bearing members further is relieved as at 40 and 4H so as to accommodate the turned over lip 43 where the upper curtain member is secured in slot 38. Bearing member 33 has an outwardly extending journal portion 44 which engages the end plate 46 of my housing assembly. The journal for the other end is provided by the rod 48 which has a square end 56, that in turn is secured in the opposite end plates 52 and thus held against rotation. Hole 53 in member 34 should be of such a size as to form a suitable bearing surface on rod 48.

Disposed within roller I4 and about rod 48 is the tortion spring 54. This is fixedly secured to rod 48 at one end or otherwise secured against rotation with its free end 55 formed so as to be engaged in slot 38 and thus, as roller I4 is revolved, a tortional resistance is set up within spring 54. A suitable guide or rest for the end of rod 48 is provided with washer 51 which should be a free fit within roller I4 where it may slide without undue friction as the roller is revolved. In the accompanying drawings I have indicated one spring 54 extending part way along the open ing of the fireplace. Ordinarily it has been found that one spring can be used with fireplace openings of normal extent such as are used in coal burning fireplaces. If, however, a larger opening is employed it is often desirable to use two such springs, one in each end of roller I4 in which case the springs would be oppositely faced so that they would each have equal resistance to the unrolling of the curtain and tend at all times to restore it to its upper or rolled up position. This provides upward drag on the curtain which permits the successful operation of the toggle locking and adjusting means provided by locking bar I8.

I have found it desirable to fully enclose my roller I4, after the showing of Figure 2, so that if the screen is pulled fully down as would be done if the fire were banked or otherwise smothered, it will prevent escape of the pent up gases that are so obnoxious. This can be accomplished by extending the uncorrugated portions of guides and 3| upwardly until they engage a folded-in end as 60 of end plates 4B-52 or the housing may be built up of a plurality of parts in accordance with the installation requirements. As a means of adjusting my device and aiding in the ease of installation I provide a plurality of expansion bolts 62 with screws operating in slots 64 in the end plate members.

In order to obtain more satisfactory results from my device it is desirable that the same be set in fire clay so that any qualities of the side walls of the fire place may be compensated for and a seal be obtained around the margins. It is also desirable to give an exit for any gases that might be trapped in the housing around roller I4 and to this end I have provided a plurality of openings 64 which enables the draft of the chimney to withdraw any gases from the housing. When so installed in a substantially air tight manner it is impossible for any down drafts to carry fumes, smoke or ashes out into the room.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination in a flexible screen adapted to be mounted in a fire place, with a springwound roller for the screen, of a spaced pair of guides each comprising a pair of spaced corrugated plates, an oscillatable lock-bar mounted in the free end of the screen and adapted to frietionally engage two of the corrugated plates, and locking means on the lock-bar for engagement with the other two guide plates.

2. The combination with a flexible screen and its spring-wound roller, of a pair of laterally spaced guides each having spaced opposed corrugated faces, an oscillatable lock bar mounted in the flexible screen and frictionally engaged in two corrugated faces, said lock bar having return bends at its ends, and the free ends of said return bends having frictional engagement with the other two corrugated faces.

3. In a fireplace screen, the combination with a.housing having spaced depending legs, and a spring-wound flexible screen mounted in the housing with its lateral edges guided in said legs, of means at the free end of the screen adapted to impinge against one wall of a leg, and said means also including a retaining device adapted to impinge against an opposite wall of said leg, for holding the screen in adjusted position.

EUGENE '1". BROWN. 

